austraLasia 1057
South Asia Team Visit at midway point: the '1111'
message!
NEW DELHI: 3rd March 2005 -- It is 'Team Visit'
time and South Asia Region is first up. The SA gathering is being
held at Okhla Don Bosco Provincial House and nearby Don Bosco Technical
Institute. Participants other than members of the General Council from
Rome draw from 12 Provinces/Vice Provinces of South Asia.
The SA Team Visit is modelling the process that will be
used in the Team Visits to follow: a day spent on analysis and evaluation
of the current reality in the light of GC25, effectively, then an analysis of
how GC25 is being implemented; a day spent visioning the future, noting
achievements on which to build, challenges and resources for the future; then a
day spent working on the implications of all this, perhaps in terms of a vision
and mission for the region. The Team Visits are also an opportunity for
the Rector Major and Council to consult regarding the forthcoming GC26 and the
direction it should take.
After the evaluative phase on the Day 1 of the SA Team
Visit, the Rector Major noted the following three items: (1) in the future the
most effective Religious will be those with a clear notion of Religious Family.
Don Bosco envisioned the Salesian Family as one single movement. We share
his passion for this and move from individual experiences to institutional
planning. (2) Salesian community - some exciting notions to come out of
GC25 modules which reinforce Don Bosco's understanding of one place - living
together, one spirit - family spirit and faith vision, one project of life -
Constitutions, one common goal - shared project of our mission. '1111'!
From a dozen Province reports over the past 20 years
within the SA region, on Day 2 the following challenges emerged: formation of
confreres, inculcating a planning mentality, developing an effective vocation
ministry. In terms of resources available, the participants noted the
situation of committed and enthusiastic confreres willing to take up new
ventures and ways of being present to the young, the sufficient number of local
vocations, the adequate infrastructures in place for dealing with poor youth and
those at risk, the degree of collaboration with the laity.
As always there are resistances or difficulties: to a
planning mentality in particular, and the already well-noted (from past years)
danger of superficiality in religious life - in prayer, transparency,
motivation... The participants then identified key strategies for the
future: forming Salesian for God-centred, people-centred realistic ministry;
working on inculcation of planning mentality through Province planning and the
SEPP (Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan); through networking with like-minded
people, agencies and so forth.
In his feedback session on future planning, Fr
Alencherry reflected the importance of being over doing, of charismatic
identity, of personalised formation, of appreciation for the 'vast movement of
persons' as our resource, and of a movement from vocation recruitment to
vocation promotion.
One final point that threaded through much of the two
first days' conversations - Salesian India began as a missionary venture and has
reached the point it has today with that character. Yet in Central India
with a population of 400 million there are but 18 SDB communities - our future
depends on the missionary fire continuing in all of our communities.
___________________________
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